Two methods were used to estimate the foodstoringterritory of communal overwinter nest of Brandt’s vole, that is, the rootcounting method and runwaymeasuring technique. It reveals that the 2 estimators accord with di...Two methods were used to estimate the foodstoringterritory of communal overwinter nest of Brandt’s vole, that is, the rootcounting method and runwaymeasuring technique. It reveals that the 2 estimators accord with direct proportion relationship. The utility rate of the group on its food storing territory is about 67 percent. The runway measuring method may be considered as a convenient estimator of the food storing territory of communal over winter group of this展开更多
The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in ...The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in recent years,however,the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds.To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds,we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species,population size,and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake,two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009,respectively.The impacts of different fishery patterns on the distribution of waterbirds were also analyzed.A total of 43 waterbirds species belong to 7 orders of 12 families were counted during the surveys,of which 38 were found in Caizi Lake with a density of 8.2 ind./hm2,and 42 in Shengjin Lake with a density of 3.5 ind./hm2.Geese（Anser cygnoides）,bean geese（Anser fabalis）,tundra swan（Cygnus columbianus）,and dunlin（Calidris alpina） were the dominant species in the two shallow lakes.Species number and individual assemble reached maximum at the end of December and in early January of the following year,without coincidence of the largest flock for different ecological groups.Based on waterbird diversity across the 11 belt transects and the fishery patterns,habitats could be divided into three groups.Gruiformes,Anseriformes and Charadriiformes had relatively higher densities in the natural fishery zones and lower densities in the cage fishery zones;whereas,the density of Ardeidae showed little change across all lake zones.It is important to develop sustainable fishery patterns in shallow lakes along the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain to better protect resources of wintering waterbirds.展开更多
The loss and degradation of wetlands have adversely affected waterbirds, which depend on wetland habitats. Interspecific competition has an important effect on habitat utilization of wintering waterbirds. Resource uti...The loss and degradation of wetlands have adversely affected waterbirds, which depend on wetland habitats. Interspecific competition has an important effect on habitat utilization of wintering waterbirds. Resource utilization, including partitioning, in degraded wetlands has become a hot issue in ecological studies of wintering waterbirds. In order to have an insight into the habitat utilization and resource partitioning between a Hooded Crane(Grus monacha) population and the guild of three goose species, i.e., Anser fabalis, A. albifrons and A. erythropus wintering in lake wetlands, we carried out a study at Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve from November 2011 to April 2012. We surveyed the Hooded Cranes and goose guild foraging in various habitats during the wintering periods with a combined method of fixed route searching and fixed site observations. Resource partitioning was studied by means of calculating habitat utilization rates and the width and overlap of spatial niches. The results showed that the habitat utilization rate and the width of spatial niches of the Hooded Crane population and goose guild shifted with the season. The habitat utilization rates of the cranes in grasslands were high at all three wintering stages. The habitat utilization rates were 0.454, 0.435 and 0.959 respectively for the Hooded Cranes and 0.627, 0.491 and 0.616 for the goose guild. This suggests that the overlap in grasslands was higher between cranes and goose guild. Most habitats were accessible at the middle stage, so the width of the spatial niche of the cranes(1.099) and goose guild(1.133) both reached their peak at this stage. The greatest niche overlap was 0.914 for these two groups at the late stage, followed by 0.906 at the middle stage and the smallest was 0.854 at the early stage. Ecological response to the changes in habitats of wintering waterbirds was clearly shown in the dynamic variations of the niche of both the Hooded Cranes and the three goose species. Coexistence among waterbirds was achieved by regulation of niche width to reduce niche overlap and relieve interspecific resource partitioning.展开更多
Poyang Lake is a very important wintering place for cranes in China and East Asia.Two crane surveys were conducted at Poyang Lake during the 2011/2012 winter,the first on 18-19 December 2011 and the second on 18-19 Fe...Poyang Lake is a very important wintering place for cranes in China and East Asia.Two crane surveys were conducted at Poyang Lake during the 2011/2012 winter,the first on 18-19 December 2011 and the second on 18-19 February 2012.The survey covered the entire Poyang Lake basin,as well as two main lakes in Jiujiang (Saicheng Hu and Chi Hu),i.e.,a total of 85 sub-lakes were surveyed.Both surveys recorded four species of cranes.The first survey on 18-19 December 2011 recorded 4577 Siberian Cranes (Grus leucogeranus),mostly in Bang Hu,Sha Hu and Dahu Chi,302 Hooded Cranes (G.monacha),885 White-naped Cranes (G.vipio) and 8408 Eurasian Cranes (G.grus),for the most part in the center of the lake basin.The second survey on 18-19 February 2012 recorded 3335 Siberian Cranes (mostly in Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve (PLNR) and its surrounding areas),110 Hooded Cranes (largely in PLNR and its surrounding areas),283 White-naped Cranes (86％ in Bang Hu) and 2205 Eurasian Cranes (particularly in Duchang and Nanjishan NNR).The number of Siberian Cranes enumerated in December was 1000 more than the second count in February 2012.It is not possible to rule out double counting due to the close proximity of the main sites of the Siberian Cranes.During winters from 1998 to 2009,the average of the highest counts each winter was 3091,ranging from 2345 in 1996 to 4004 in 2002.By comparison with counts taken at other times,we therefore estimate a wintering population of Siberian Cranes of ～3800-4000 at Poyang Lake.Additional evidence will be needed to raise the world population estimate.Our more recent surveys indicate a continuing decline in the number of White-naped Cranes and an increase in Eurasian Cranes.展开更多
文摘Two methods were used to estimate the foodstoringterritory of communal overwinter nest of Brandt’s vole, that is, the rootcounting method and runwaymeasuring technique. It reveals that the 2 estimators accord with direct proportion relationship. The utility rate of the group on its food storing territory is about 67 percent. The runway measuring method may be considered as a convenient estimator of the food storing territory of communal over winter group of this
基金Supported partly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30870317)EU-China Biodiversity Programme(00056783)Anhui Academic and Technical Leader Fund
文摘The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in recent years,however,the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds.To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds,we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species,population size,and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake,two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009,respectively.The impacts of different fishery patterns on the distribution of waterbirds were also analyzed.A total of 43 waterbirds species belong to 7 orders of 12 families were counted during the surveys,of which 38 were found in Caizi Lake with a density of 8.2 ind./hm2,and 42 in Shengjin Lake with a density of 3.5 ind./hm2.Geese（Anser cygnoides）,bean geese（Anser fabalis）,tundra swan（Cygnus columbianus）,and dunlin（Calidris alpina） were the dominant species in the two shallow lakes.Species number and individual assemble reached maximum at the end of December and in early January of the following year,without coincidence of the largest flock for different ecological groups.Based on waterbird diversity across the 11 belt transects and the fishery patterns,habitats could be divided into three groups.Gruiformes,Anseriformes and Charadriiformes had relatively higher densities in the natural fishery zones and lower densities in the cage fishery zones;whereas,the density of Ardeidae showed little change across all lake zones.It is important to develop sustainable fishery patterns in shallow lakes along the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain to better protect resources of wintering waterbirds.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31172117)the Graduate Student Innovation Research Projects of Anhui University(Grant No.yqh100118)the Anhui Academic and Technical Leader Fund
文摘The loss and degradation of wetlands have adversely affected waterbirds, which depend on wetland habitats. Interspecific competition has an important effect on habitat utilization of wintering waterbirds. Resource utilization, including partitioning, in degraded wetlands has become a hot issue in ecological studies of wintering waterbirds. In order to have an insight into the habitat utilization and resource partitioning between a Hooded Crane(Grus monacha) population and the guild of three goose species, i.e., Anser fabalis, A. albifrons and A. erythropus wintering in lake wetlands, we carried out a study at Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve from November 2011 to April 2012. We surveyed the Hooded Cranes and goose guild foraging in various habitats during the wintering periods with a combined method of fixed route searching and fixed site observations. Resource partitioning was studied by means of calculating habitat utilization rates and the width and overlap of spatial niches. The results showed that the habitat utilization rate and the width of spatial niches of the Hooded Crane population and goose guild shifted with the season. The habitat utilization rates of the cranes in grasslands were high at all three wintering stages. The habitat utilization rates were 0.454, 0.435 and 0.959 respectively for the Hooded Cranes and 0.627, 0.491 and 0.616 for the goose guild. This suggests that the overlap in grasslands was higher between cranes and goose guild. Most habitats were accessible at the middle stage, so the width of the spatial niche of the cranes(1.099) and goose guild(1.133) both reached their peak at this stage. The greatest niche overlap was 0.914 for these two groups at the late stage, followed by 0.906 at the middle stage and the smallest was 0.854 at the early stage. Ecological response to the changes in habitats of wintering waterbirds was clearly shown in the dynamic variations of the niche of both the Hooded Cranes and the three goose species. Coexistence among waterbirds was achieved by regulation of niche width to reduce niche overlap and relieve interspecific resource partitioning.
基金Financial support for the survey was provided by several ICF directors and the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund
文摘Poyang Lake is a very important wintering place for cranes in China and East Asia.Two crane surveys were conducted at Poyang Lake during the 2011/2012 winter,the first on 18-19 December 2011 and the second on 18-19 February 2012.The survey covered the entire Poyang Lake basin,as well as two main lakes in Jiujiang (Saicheng Hu and Chi Hu),i.e.,a total of 85 sub-lakes were surveyed.Both surveys recorded four species of cranes.The first survey on 18-19 December 2011 recorded 4577 Siberian Cranes (Grus leucogeranus),mostly in Bang Hu,Sha Hu and Dahu Chi,302 Hooded Cranes (G.monacha),885 White-naped Cranes (G.vipio) and 8408 Eurasian Cranes (G.grus),for the most part in the center of the lake basin.The second survey on 18-19 February 2012 recorded 3335 Siberian Cranes (mostly in Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve (PLNR) and its surrounding areas),110 Hooded Cranes (largely in PLNR and its surrounding areas),283 White-naped Cranes (86％ in Bang Hu) and 2205 Eurasian Cranes (particularly in Duchang and Nanjishan NNR).The number of Siberian Cranes enumerated in December was 1000 more than the second count in February 2012.It is not possible to rule out double counting due to the close proximity of the main sites of the Siberian Cranes.During winters from 1998 to 2009,the average of the highest counts each winter was 3091,ranging from 2345 in 1996 to 4004 in 2002.By comparison with counts taken at other times,we therefore estimate a wintering population of Siberian Cranes of ～3800-4000 at Poyang Lake.Additional evidence will be needed to raise the world population estimate.Our more recent surveys indicate a continuing decline in the number of White-naped Cranes and an increase in Eurasian Cranes.
